The History Of Razors

30,000 B.C.

Cavemen get vain. Smart archeological people figure out that the earliest shaving razors were made of flint blades, which started out incredibly sharp, but dulled after use. Yes, cavemen used disposables.

3000 B.C.
Metal mania. Thanks to a lot of metal clanging and banging, copper razors (which make for a more “permanent” solution) make their way into the mainstream… well, if you want to call Egypt and India the mainstream of the B.C. era.

1500 – 1200 B.C.
Designer razors. Leave it to the Scandinavians to bring style to the art of shaving. Razors discovered from this time period were adorned with etchings of cool stuff like horses, and came in cute leather carrying cases. Seriously!

500 B.C.
Alexander the Clean Shaven. Apparently the “great” one was obsessed with having a smooth complexion. Legend has it that he wouldn’t be seen in battle before shaving.

300 B.C.
B.C. Barbershops. A rich Greek businessman, Publicus Ticinius Maenas, decided that he was too rich to shave himself, so he brought over professional barbers from Sicily, and started a fad. In fact, in Rome, a popular 21st birthday ritual included a first-shave party to celebrate adulthood.

50 B.C.
All hail the beardless. Speaking of Rome, Julius Caesar was very into personal grooming, down to plucking stray hairs with tweezers. As they say, when in Rome… shave like the Romans do.

1066 A.D.
Razor trickery. William the Conqueror defeats King Harold in the Battle of Hastings, in some part thanks to his army’s calculated decision to shave their faces and cut their hair to resemble monks. The deception meant that King Harold’s spies underestimated the enemy threat, and the rest is history.

1500
New world barbering. Archeological evidence indicates that the Aztec Indians of North and Central America created razors from volcanic glass. The first hot shave?

1770
The book on shaving. Perhaps it’s no surprise that a Frenchman literally wrote the book on shaving as an art form: The Art of Learning to Shave Oneself (La Pogonotomie). Sort of like a beauty how-to article, the guide may also be the first to introduce the concept of “safety” razor.

1847
Who you calling a hoe? The hoe-shaped razor (resembling the farming tool) that we recognize today can be credited to English inventor William Henson. It’s all about a comfortable grip.

1901
Shave safely. King Camp Gillette (you know, the-best-a-man-can-get guy) teams up with an MIT genius named William Nickerson to perfect the safety razor, complete with double-edged, disposable and replaceable blade. Side note: Isn’t Nickerson a funny name for a guy who wants others to shave without getting nicked?!

1914
The war on facial hair. Gilette’s popularity skyrockets worldwide after he cuts a deal with the U.S. Armed Forces to give every enlisted soldier a safety razor and blades as part of their off-to-war care package. Foreign soldiers are envious, and European sales soar.

1921
Invention intuition. Adapting a military idea for a practical use inspired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jacob Schick to invent a new razor – the Magazine Repeating Razor. Similar to how a magazine clip contains bullets, this razor housed replacement blades right in the handle.

1928
No water required. Schick invents and patents the first electric dry shaver, great for roaring ‘20s men on the go.

1970s
Back to basics. The disposable razor, not popular since the stone ages, makes its way back into mass popularity. Cheap to make and easy to use, all of the major razor manufacturers offer a throwaway option.

Today
Headline-worthy beards. If you’re a celebrity, sporting a beard represents a lifestyle choice. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Conan O’Brien, Joaquin Phoenix – need we say more?

Via

Dry Cleaner For The Closet

Designer Minsung Bae imagined a way that laundry can “magically” clean itself while being locked away in the closet. Minsung Bae has developed a dry cleaning system that uses a combination of humidity, ionization, ozone and air pressure to destroy bacteria and remove stains.

The designer explains:

“All you do is hang up your shirts, turn it on and within minutes, the waterless system provides you with shirt worthy of a dry cleaner’s award. It may seem large and cumbersome but if you’re getting a clean shirt every day, doesn’t that mean you only need one, maybe two shirts instead of ten? Plus it’s free of chemicals meaning the earth is happy and your clothes last much longer.”

Via & PSFK

Burberry re-opens in Vegas

Burberry's 26,000 square foot Las Vegas flagship store re-opened this week. Featuring excellent pieces from the Burberry Prorsum, Burberry London, Burberry Brit, and Burberry Accessories collections, British materials and themes are used throughout with a 3x3 video wall, touch screen monitors, and a VIP lounge and fitting area.

Here are some of our favorites:

Duckie Brown Sample Sale

Duckie Brown is edgy, stylish and fun but unlike Thom Browne, it's reasonably priced. And affordability is about to get more attractive. Duckie Brown is hosting a studio sample sale (read: great discounts) this weekend. Prices will be 70% to 80% off retail. (Who needs friends & family and gift cards?!) We are told that there will be all types of shirts, trousers, and jackets (suit and casual).

Shirts that normally retail for $350 will be $100 and $600 jackets will be marked down to $150. We are sending our men, how about yours? Please, just tell them to be careful with the cropped pants.

Duckie Brown Sample Sale
Saturday, October 23 from
11:00am to 5:00pm
321 West 13th Street, Suite 3A
CASH ONLY

CK Free by Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein just launched a new scent, CK FREE:

ckfree for men is casual, spontaneous and confident. Inspired by the spirit of the modern, independent man who lives every day to the fullest, ckfree is an aromatic, warm, woody fragrance. Unexpectedly fresh, yet casual and distinctly masculine, it opens with an invitation to free the mind.

Notes:

Top: Thailand Star Anise, Jackfruit, Absinthe, and Juniper Berry

Middle: Suede, Tobacco Leaves, Coffee Absolute, and South African Buchu

Dry: Patchouli Absolute, Oakwood, Texan Cedarwood, and Costa Rican Ironwood

This scent smells very synthetic in composition. While the ingredients sound exotic, the fragrance smells very similar to many "scents for men" designed for the US market today.

I do, however, believe that fragrance is personal and you should always smell the scent and try it on your skin prior to making a decision. Great scents do not have to be expensive.

This scent is suitable for a young man with a wandering heart. This collection of products will be, of course, available everywhere worldwide.

Eau de Toilette Spray, 1oz/30ml, $32

Eau de Toilette Spray, 1.7oz/50ml, $50

Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4oz/100ml, $65

Aftershave Balm, 5.0oz/150ml, $42

Deodorant Stick, 2.5oz/75g, $16

p.s. CK free is running a 'live free' contest a la Facebook. Win $5,000 or £3,000 [which would not do much in New York, but free money is always good, isn't it?] More info here.

Based on sample provided by Coty.

Yigal Azrouël To Debut Footwear This Spring

For Spring 2011, Yigal Azrouël will present his men’s and women’s collections separately, the better to let each speak for itself. Making their runway debut alongside the military-inspired men’s collection will be the collection’s first men’s shoes.

Showing off two styles yesterday, an ankle boot and a sandal in distressed leather and canvas, Azrouël explained that their origin was simple: Canvassing the market, he just couldn’t find the boots that he wanted for himself. The two-tone, hand-distressed styles are made by Peron in Italy, the factory that manufactures footwear for Rick Owens and Maison Martin Margiela. The boot style has decorative ties and zips up the back, and can be worn up—Azrouël noted it fits close in to the ankle so it will fit under skinny jeans—or rolled down, to reveal a supple black leather lining inside. The boot will retail for $795, and the sandal somewhere around that range, when they go on sale at the designer’s Meatpacking District boutique next spring.

Via Matthew Schneier

Southern Cookout

Made from a repurposed whiskey barrel, the Whiskey Barrel BBQ Pit ($950) features a metal interior and rack to keep the barrel from burning, and, well, not a lot else, except for the satisfaction that comes from grilling something in a whiskey barrel while drinking a glass of whiskey. Via

Sad News: BBlessing to Close

Brush Care

• Thoroughly rinse your brush and razor after each use. Shake all excess water out of your badger hair brush so it can easily dry.

• It is preferred that you dry the badger hair brush hanging upside down to prevent moisture from seeping into the base of the brush.

• Never store a shaving brush in a closed cupboard where mildew may form.

• If your brush becomes clogged with soap, soak in a mild solution of borax until clean. [If it looks hopeless or start to smell funky, replace your brush.]

For the Big Bad Wolf

Méchant Loup by L'Artisan Parfumeur is full of forest scents.

Naughty Wolf is a woody perfume with a heart of hazelnut.
Charming, sexy, and earthy, we dig this scent for summer through Autumn.

Méchant Loup is available on
Shave & Fragrances Co., MiN New York and at Henri Bendel.

How to iron a shirt

1. Find the tag on your shirt that indicates what it's made of.

2. Plug in the iron and set the dial to the recommended setting for that fabric. One hundred percent cotton and linen need a high setting; wools and cotton blends call for medium heat; polyester, rayon, nylon, silk, acetate and acrylic all need a low heat setting.

3. Fill the iron with distilled water if you will be using the "steam" setting on cottons or linens.

4. Iron the back of the collar first, then the front, taking care to iron in from the edges a little at a time to avoid creases.

5. Open cuffs fully. Iron inside first, then outside.

6. Iron sleeves after smoothing them flat to avoid creases. Do sleeve backs first, fronts second and take extra care on armhole seams.

7. Hang shirt over board so that one front panel of the shirt can be extended flat (collar at narrower end of board). Iron from shoulder to shirttail.

8. Rotate shirt over board so that you iron the back next, and the other front panel last.

Hydrate while you shave

Schick launched its new Hydro line of razors, which is designed to dramatically improve the shave experience by going beyond hair removal to care for skin.

"Schick Hydro is a complete reinvention of the razor, featuring many first to market technologies that reduce irritation and provide men with more comfortable shaves. Schick Hydro shave preps are also introduced to work in tandem with the new razor as a complete skin comfort system."

Schick Hydro razor's "innovations" include:

• Skin Guards -- Skin guards are innovative skin protectors that act to smooth out skin between blade tips to reduce irritation.

• Advanced Hydrating Gel Reservoir -- The Schick Hydro blade cartridge uses proprietary technology to pack advanced lubrication with soothing aloe vera and vitamin E into a Hydrating Gel Reservoir that reinvents the lubricating strip that is found on most razors today. With most razors, the lubrication from the shave gel disappears with the first stroke. The lubrication delivered by Schick Hydro razors adds hydration in multiple strokes, providing lubrication from start to finish and reducing irritation.
  
• Flip Trimmer -- The advent of a Flip Trimmer on the five-blade razor allows men to flip back the Hydrating Gel Reservoir for precise edging and shaving in tight area.
  
• New ergonomic handle design

We tested the Hydro 3 and Hydro 5. Overall, the handle does feel more heavier, more substantial and ergonomic. Overall, we enjoyed the shaving experience. While we are not convinced that more blades means a better shave [we actually prefer classic double edge safety razors], this new hydro razor performed better than the Mach 3. As for the 5 blade version, if we had to choose, we still prefer Gillette's Fusion. Schick Hydro's Skin Comfort System is interesting. While we are not certain what makes their formula different, the scent is refreshing and great for spring & summer. The gels turn into foam nicely for a decent lather. For more information, visit schickhydro.com.

5 Tips Every Tall Man Should Know

1) Lighter colors add width to a narrow frame.

2) A two-button suit works great on a tall man—as long as the suit has relatively high-cut lapels.

3) Just because you're tall doesn't mean you need an extra-long suit size. Try on a long first.

4) Keep the amount of cuff you show to a minimum.

5) Ask for a decent amount of break in your trousers, so your long legs don't look too long.

Via

Grooming Tips for Business

What's in fashion may change some things, like the width of lapels, the cut of pants, or the colors of shirts and ties available in the stores. Basic professional attire, however, does not change with the whims of fashion.

• Snip away loose thread on your suits and pants.
• Polish shoes that needs to be polished, wash shoes that need to be washed.
• Keep fingernails short and clean.
• Clip/trim nose and ear hairs.
• Cut toenails straight across.
• Your attire should be noticed as being appropriate and well-fitting.
• A good suit should last five to ten years, depending on its quality, how hard you wear it, how well you care for it, and if it continues to fit you well.
• You can express fashion's whims in your off-the-job clothes, and if appropriate, in your accessories.
• If you must wear and earring, choose something small and subtle and not the big ones like loops where you can put a circus animal through.
• Always check limbs coming out of your suit. Your collar should stay flat under the lappet of your jacket. The cuff of your shirts should peak out of your coat sleeves when your arms hang straight down against your sides.

Eucris for men by Geo F Trumper

Noted as James Bond’s favorite fragrance in “Diamonds Are Forever”, Eucris has quite a pedigree. Created by the distinguished barber and perfumer Geo F Trumper, established in London in 1875, Eucris is one of the house’s classics: a warm, mossy aroma composed of blackcurrant, cumin and coriander, a heart of jasmine and muguet and base notes of sandalwood, musk and moss.

Eucris opens with a slightly tart currant note paired with lemony coriander and a hint of cumin. The green moss, wood and soft musk lingers and it is quite striking. Presented in a beautiful vintage-style black glass bottle with a silver crown top, it's easy to see why the Eucris is a timeless favorite from Geo F. Trumper since 1912.

The Eucris is an Eau de Toilette and is sold in a 100 ml bottle at Geo F. Trumper and at MiN New York.

Duckie Brown RTW Fall 2010

DKNY Men's RTW Fall 2010

Donna Karan and ceo Mark Weber presided over a large presentation within a party at the hip Ace Hotel in New York City.

"This is all the elements of the modern male," said Karan. "He's a man into sport, but with the sophistication of the city and a relaxed elegance."

Sportswear aligned with the rugged-outdoors trend, but in a concrete-jungle palette and a lot of shiny, technical materials. Moving onto tailored clothing, Karan said, "It's time for men to dress—but in a street way. We're not removing their edge." Via